February 2010

        "Mother, did you see what Marion is hiding behind her back?"

        Mother turned away from the table where she was stripping kernels off the corn cobs.  She was almost ready to begin making corn relish which she would put into large glass jars and store them down cellar.  The family would eat the relish in the winter.

        "Marion, what have you got there?"

        Marion smiled and backed right up to the kitchen wall to hide what she was holding behind her back.

        Ben tried to see behind her, but she pushed herself back so tightly against the wall, he couldn't see a thing.  Marion giggled.

        "Come on, Marion.  Let's see what you are hiding.  Is it something breakable, asked Mother?"

        Marion laughed again but Mother ad Ben's curiosity made her decide to reveal what her two hands had been gripping so tightly.  She moved her arms.

        "Look!  See what I have got."

        She held up what looked like a big piece of brown paper.

        Both Mother and Ben looked puzzled.

        "What is it?  What is it, shouted Ben?  It just looks like a big piece of brown paper."

        "Mother, you were not on the porch with Grandpa yesterday when his friend, George West went home, were you?"

        "No, Remember, I had to go inside.  We had smelled smoke.  The wood in the stove was almost burned up."

        "Oh, yes."

        Marion's eyes sparkled as she held her arms high up in front of her body, still tightly gripping the large piece of brown paper.  It was much taller than it was wide.  She moved her hands and pulled on the side of the paper.

        "See, she shouted," as the paper seemed to open up.

        There were now two sides and a bottom visible as Marion carefully stretched and pulled on the paper.

        "Mother, I'd like to show you something.  Can you get the tomatoes we picked yesterday?"

        Mother turned and took a large bowl of tomatoes out of the icebox.  She put it on the table.  Marion walked over, set her opened paper bag next to the bowl and began to put the tomatoes, one by one, into the bag until the bag was completely full.

        "Look, Mother and Ben.  The bag is full.  Do you notice anything?"

        They both looked steadily at the bag.  Mother spoke first.

        "Oh, my goodness!  It is hard to believe."

        "I know what it is!  Ben shouted."

        "See, Mother.  See!"

        Mother touched the bag with her hand, then pushed it just a bit.  It didn't move.  She jumped back as if something had taken a bite of her finger.

        "My goodness.  It did not tip over.  Why, it did not move at all!  Marion, is this what Grandpa was talking about when he mentioned his friend, George West?"

        "Yes, Mother.  Did he tell you that Mr. West became a millionaire by making these square bottomed paper bags?"

        "He did mention that Mr. West had become very wealthy from the products in his mills.  He also said that Mr. West had so much money he bought the Pioneer Mill, where Uncle LeRoy worked and the Empire Mill in Rock City Falls."

        "Yes, Mother.  Do you remember the two mills he bought in Middle Grove?  I am too little to know about the Middle Grove Mills, but I know you do Mother."

        "I certainly do.  Your grandfather worked there for awhile.  Mr. West especially wanted him because your grandfather knows all about machines and Mr. West spent $40,000 for updated equipment for the Middle Grove mills."

        "Did the Middle Grove mills make a lot of money for Mr. West?"

        "Oh, they certainly did.  He was very proud of their success.  But, it seems as if every mill he touched turned to gold."

        "What does that mean, Mother?"

        "Well Ben, I'll tell you a story that may help you understand.  On a trip to his home country of England, Mr. West bought a failing mill.  He chose one of his former workers as superintendent.  Grandpa told me all of this, and he said that someone from the 'New York Star' newspaper interviewed Mr. West and asked him how he made his mills so successful.  Mr. West said, "I make them earn a lot of money because I want to show everyone just how I do it.  I want to show them what a fellow could do in this country.  That mill was losing money, so I put in American machinery, showed them how we worked over here, and in six months the balance was on the right side of the books."

        "He must have been a very good business man."

        "Yes Marion, he was.  That is why he and your grandfather made such a good pair."

        "Say Grandfather, how long have you been standing there?"

        "Long enough to hear a very good story, Ben."

        His laughter echoed all through the house, woke up the dog and his laughter was drowned out by Rover's loud barking.